Protective closure for an article

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a protective closure for threaded or non-threaded tubular articles or projections. This protective closure comprises a hollow cylindrical member having an open and a closed end and with at least one internal and one external circularly-shaped plateau. Joined to the open end of the cylindrical member is a flexible sleeve which can be folded back over the article which is to be protected. This folding ability of the sleeve serves as a locking device to retain the protective closure on certain tubular-shaped articles or projections. A number of helical threads can also be formed on each of the plateaus to provide a further locking device when the protective closure is used to protect a threaded article.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a protective closure for an article. Inparticular, it relates to a reusable protective closure which can fitvarious size threaded or non-threaded tubular articles or projections.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various types of plastic and metal protective devices are currentlyavailable which are designed to prevent foreign contamination in fluidlines. These protective devices are installed at the place ofmanufacture and are intended to remain on the article during shipmentand storage. Most of these protective devices rely on friction orthreads for holding them in the end of apertured articles. However,experience has shown that simple locking in place is not assured becauseof vibration and rubbing contact with adjacent parts during transfer.Furthermore, for certain types of plastic protective devices, thefrictional action of insertion and removal tends to leave slivers orshaved material in the threads of the article. This, in effect, defeatsthe purpose of the protective device.

Two other problems associated with currently available protectivedevices are that: one, each design is suited to fit only one sizeaperture; and two, many designs are hard to either put on or take off ofthe article. The combination of these two factors has meant that manyarticles are not protected at all because the packing personnel cannotlocate the right plug when they need it or simply cannot get theprotective device onto the article.

The unacceptability of commercially available protective closures hasled applicant to invent a new type of protective closure which is bothreusable and versatile enough to fit various sizes of apertured ortubular articles or projections.

The general object of this invention is to provide a protective closurefor a threaded or non-threaded article. A more specific object of thisinvention is to provide a protective closure for preventing foreigncontamination from entering threaded or non-threaded openings in tubulararticles or projections.

Another object of this invention is to provide a one-piece, inexpensive,reusable protective closure for an apertured article.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a protectiveclosure which is easy to install and remove from the end of a tubulararticle or projection.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent toone skilled in the art based upon the ensuing description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention relates to a protective closure forarticles. This protective closure is made from a flexible material andhas an internal and external step-like cylindrical form with one closedend and one open end. Attached to the open end is a flexible thin-walledsleeve. This flexible thin-walled sleeve is designed to be folded backover the article to more securely lock the protective closure in placewhenever the shape of the article to be protected permits.

The principal advantage of this new protective closure is that it canfit various sizes of threaded or non-threaded tubular articles orprojections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the protective closure.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 along line 2--2.

FIG. 3 is a front end view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a threaded hose fitting with a protectiveclosure fastened about the right-hand end.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 along line 5--5.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a second embodiment of the protective closure.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 along line 7--7.

FIG. 8 is a right end view of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, a one-piece protective closure 10 is shownwhich can be made from any suitable flexible material. Included in thisgroup of flexible materials are natural and synthetic rubbers,plastic-elastomers, malleable thermoplastics and thermosetting polymersof high molecular weight. Preferably, such flexible material should beoil resistant since the protective closures are most likely to be usedto protect fluid and lubricant lines, including lines designed totransfer hydraulic oils.

The protective closure 10 is formed in the shape of a hollow cylindricalmember having at least one internal and one external plateau, 11 and 12respectively. These step-like circular plateaus 11 and 12 extend awayfrom a closed end 13. The closed end 13 or 13' can be either flat orcone-shaped as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 respectively. The flat end ispreferred when the protective closure 10 is used to protect a hollowtubular article with a threaded interior or exterior end. Thecone-shaped end 13' is preferred when the protective closure 10 is usedin a flared object, such as a fuel conduit. Aligned opposite the closedend 13 is an open end 14 surrounded by a flexible thin-walled sleeve 15.This flexible sleeve 15, which is spaced radially outward from theplateaus 12, is completely open on one side 16 and has a diameter whichis larger than any portion of the largest exterior plateau 12. Thislarger diameter allows the flexible sleeve 15 to be folded back over thearticle to be protected so as to more securely lock the protectiveclosure 10 in place.

The protective closure 10 is constructed to accommodate variousdiameters of male or female threaded or non-threaded tubular articles orprojections and therefore preferably contains two or more internal andexternal plateaus, 11 and 12 respectively. As seen in FIG. 2, each ofthe internal plateaus 11 increases in diameter as the plateau 11 movesaway from the closed end 13. In addition, each of the internal andexternal plateaus 11 and 12 are set off from an adjacent plateau by aflat perpendicular surface 17 and 17'. These flat perpendicular surfaces17 and 17° serve as a stop so that the protective closure 10 can belocked onto an article. While the protective closure 10 can be used onboth threaded and non-threaded articles, it works best on threaded maleor female tubular articles or projections. For threaded articles, thecombination of the flat perpendicular surface 17 or 17' and the internalor external threads 18 or 19 respectively, provide a unique interlockingmeans which secures the protective closure 10 to the article. Theinternal and external threads 18 and 19 can be any type of helicalconvolutions, including standard right- or left-handed threads, knucklethreads, notched threads, etc. Preferably, each internal and externalplateau 11 and 12 will contain at least three full revolutions ofhelical threads. More preferably, each plateau will contain 3-5 full360° revolutions of helical threads.

Like the internal plateaus 11, the diameter of each external plateau 12increases the farther it is situated from the closed end 13. Thisincrease in diameter gives the protective closure 10 the ability to fitover different sizes of tubular articles. For example, FIG. 4 shows afemale hose fitting 20 with an attached protective closure 10 having itsflexible sleeve 15 folded back onto an outer surface 22 of the hosefitting 20. As better seen in FIG. 5, the larger of the two exteriorplateaus 12 matches the diameter of the internal threads 21 on thefemale hose fitting 20. Furthermore, the smaller diameter of the twoexterior plateaus 12 easily fits into an open bore 23 of the female hosefitting 20. This allows the exterior threads 19 on the larger of the twoexterior plateaus 12 to thread into the internal threads 21 of thefemale hose fitting 20. In this case, the smaller of the two exteriorplateaus 12 and both of the internal plateaus 11 are not being used.However, when the protective closure 10 is removed from the female hosefitting 20, it is versatile enough to be placed on another article whichmay have a different diameter male or female thread. This versatility isa feature which distinguishes this particular invention from currentlyavailable plugs and caps.

The flexible thin-walled sleeve 15 is employed when the protectiveclosure 10 is threaded or otherwise inserted into a tubular aperturedarticle. By folding back the flexible sleeve 15, a tighter more securelock is formed and the protective closure 10 is more likely to stay inplace. This is true even when the article to be protected is exposed tovibration or rubbing contact with other articles. The flexible sleeve 15is not folded back when the protective closure 10 is placed on a maletubular-shaped article. Instead, the flexible sleeve 15 serves toprovide a grasping means so that the operator can thread or otherwiseinsert the protective closure 10 onto the article. This allows theoperator to obtain a more secure fitting of the protective closure 10into the article.

FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 show another embodiment of the protective closure 10having an open end 14' and a flexible thin-walled sleeve 15'. In thisembodiment, the closed end 13' is cone-shaped to better fit into andseal a flange surface of a lubrication line. In addition, only oneinternal and external plateau, 11' and 12' respectively, are present.The use of only one internal and one external plateau, instead ofmultiple plateaus, will insure a cost reduction in manufacturing theprotective closure 10 and may even be more desirable if a person has alarge quantity of articles which have the same internal or externaldiameter.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with only twospecific embodiments, it is to be understood that many alternatives,modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in theart in light of the aforementioned description. Accordingly, it isintended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variationswhich fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A protective closure for an article comprising:(a) a hollow member having an open end, a closed end and a cylindrical portion located therebetween, said cylindrical portion having at least two pairs of overlapping, threaded internal and external surfaces; and (b) a sleeve extending radially outward from said open end of said hollow member, said sleeve having a flexible thin wall which can be folded back over said article.
 2. The protective closure of claim 1 wherein said closed end is cone-shaped.
 3. The protective closure of claim 1 wherein said closed end is flat.
 4. The protective closure of claim 1 wherein said threads are either right- or left-handed threads.
 5. The protective closure of claim 1 wherein each said internal and external surfaces each have at least three full revolutions of helical threads.
 6. The protective closure of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical portion is stepped having at least two pairs of overlapping threaded internal and external surfaces.
 7. The protective closure of claim 6 wherein said threads on said internal and external surfaces are of different sizes.
 8. A protective closure for various size threaded hose fittings comprising:(a) a hollow cup-shaped member having an open end and a closed end, said cup-shaped member comprising multiple circular step-like internal and external plateaus of increasing diameters progressing toward said open end; (b) a tubular sleeve extending radially outward from said open end of said cup-shaped member, said tubular sleeve having a thin flexible wall, at least a portion of which can be folded back over said hose fitting; and (c) thread means formed on both said internal and external plateaus for engaging said threads of said hose fittings.
 9. The protective closure of claim 8 wherein said closed end is cone-shaped.
 10. The protective closure of claim 8 wherein said thread means are notched helical threads.
 11. The protective closure of claim 8 wherein each plateau comprises at least three full revolutions of threads.
 12. A protective closure for an article having either a threaded male or female end comprising:(a) a hollow member having an open end, a closed end and a stepped cylindrical portions located therebetween, said stepped portions having both threaded internal and external surfaces for alternative engagement with said threaded end of said article; and (b) a flexible sleeve extending radially outward from said open end of said hollow member, said sleeve having an outer diameter which is larger than the outer diameter of the largest stepped portion for facilitating the folding of said sleeve back over said article. 